Collision Guard

“Traffic fatalities have been declining lately, but they are still the No. 1 cause of death for people in the U.S. age 1 to 34. To get an idea of the scale of the enormous toll from traffic crashes, imagine that, every month, we lost nearly the same number of people who were killed on 9/11. Additionally about seven times as many people will suffer severe injuries, which can result in years of disability, lost income and painful and costly rehabilitation.”  -Jill Cooper, associate director of the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

Collision Guard is live at last!  The site is up and ready for members to sign up!  Head over today and sign up for great driving tips, information on life saving technology, and amazing savings on all your auto service needs.  Signing up is free!

An elderly woman was backed over in Carlsbad recently. It looks like the person backed into her, pinning her to another car. If people would just pay more attention and take the time to walk around the car, this type of thing van be avoided.

http://bit.ly/b1YPMT

       10/08/2010   

Are you ready to join America’s Fastest Growing Safe Driving Community!

Here are a few things you should know…..

Collision Guard is your community: Collision Guard was built on the idea that the world is ready for a “cultural shift” toward more aware, safety-conscious drivers.  It’s your community - help us build it by sharing your stories, videos, comments and questions. Let’s change the world together.

Collision Guard was designed to be different: The awareness videos you will see on the Collision Guard website are designed to be distinctive and thought-provoking. As a company, Collision Guard is as unique as its members. Our videos reflect that.  Some are inspiring. Others are controversial, comical, witty or even strange.  Enjoy them!  And enjoy being part of something as unique as you.

Collision Guard isn’t just another coupon company:  Collision Guard can save you money on virtually anything vehicle-related.  A Collision Guard membership is 100% free, thanks to our awesome service providers who pay the way for everyone. Reward them by using their services and rating your experience with their company.

Collision Guard is growing: Collision Guard is just getting started in your area, so please be patient with us. We’re building up a network of trusted service providers as quickly as possible. Maybe you can help. Collision Guard is looking for the best automotive professionals in your market. If you have any recommendations - whether it be for tires, brakes, tune-ups or whatever - please let us know. Thank you so much! And welcome to the Collision Guard community.

Sales and Support Team
Collision Guard, Inc.
support@collisionguard.com

 

What is the Answer to Texting and Driving Prevention?

What are some of your thoughts on texting and driving? We all know that it is dangerous and is a major cause of accidents on our roads, but what is the best way to deal with that?

A lot of people say law enforcement is the way to deal with it, and I think they are partially correct. Getting a ticket for endangering your life and the lives around you is certainly reasonable and it does make some people think twice about doing it. However, how many of us still speed, even though we know we will get a ticket if we are caught? Laws help, but they are not the ultimate answer. One study showed that in 3 out of 4 states observed, crashes increased after enacting texting bans.* Does this mean the law is harmful and bad? no. It simply means it is not enough to stop it all together.

The only way to truly stop texting and driving is to change the way we think about it. We all want to stay connected and texting is a great tool for that, but a lot of us put too much importance on staying connected 24/7. This becomes a problem when you have to drive, as it endangers all of the lives around you. So, how can we change the way we think about it? Start by reminding yourself, when you get in the car, that you are responsible for the vehicle and the lives within it. You are also responsible for your actions while operating the vehicle and that is a serious responsibility.

If you cannot keep the phone up front with you and avoid temptation, then put the phone in your trunk, or in the backseat where you cannot reach it. If you really need to make a call or send a text, pull over, retrieve your phone, and proceed with your communication. Once it is done, put the phone back up and resume your drive. 

If you are like me, and you often forget to put your phone somewhere that it can’t be reached, there are a lot of great technology solutions which will block your cell phone from receiving and making non-emergency calls while you’re driving. You can find a great text blocker device at www.key2safedriving.com, for example.

There are a lot of methods for preventing texting and driving, but ultimately the decision lies with you, the driver.

*referenced article: http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr092810.html

Find more great safety tips at www.collisionguard.com

Do you know the proper etiquette to follow in a traffic stop?  Police officers risk their lives everyday doing their jobs, so it is needless to say that they are very on guard when they make a stop.  If you want to have a better experience and avoid any complications during the stop, here are some tips to put the police officer at ease and to make things safer for him, as well as for yourself.

1. Make sure you very calmly merge to the right side of the road, watching for other cars, and maintaining a safe speed.  Don’t panic, the police officer will not be mad if you do not pull over instantly, he would much rather you take the time to pull into a safe area and do so safely.

2. Make sure there is plenty of room between your car and the edge of the road.  The officer has to walk on your side of the car, if you want to put him at ease, make sure he’s not having to worry about cars hitting him.  Remember, he is just there to keep the roads safe, do your part to make sure he stays safe as well.

3. Roll down the driver side windows if it is practical to do so.  This lets the officer immediately see what is in your vehicle and shows him that you have nothing to hide.  This will make him much more comfortable as he will know there is not a threat to him in the back seat.

4. Keep your hands on the wheel until asked to retrieve papers.  This lets him see your hands are up and there is no threat of a weapon being drawn.  Police officers have to deal with that very real threat everyday.  If you can show him that you aren’t one of those threats, it will do a lot to make him more at ease.

5. Be honest and do not argue.  The police officer has pulled you over for a reason.  You can only make things worse by being argumentative or by lying.  Remember, officers are trained to detect when people are lying to them.  If there is one thing that will typically irritate an officer, it is being lied to.  If you disagree with the ticket, don’t argue it with the officer, it will not change his mind.  Instead, take the ticket, thank the officer for doing his job, and take the ticket to court if you wish to dispute it.

For more tips and information on Traffic Stop Basics, check out this article. You can also find more great tips on safe driving at www.collisionguard.com!

According to some studies and an article in the LA Times, texting and emailing while driving is actually worse than driving while drunk.

“In a 2009 survey, Car and Driver magazine tested two of its staffers under a variety of conditions. It found that on average, driving at 70 mph, one man braking suddenly while legally drunk (0.08 blood alcohol content) traveled 4 feet beyond his baseline performance. But reading an e-mail while driving sober, he traveled 36 feet beyond the baseline result and 70 feet while sending a text. In the worst case while texting, he traveled 319 feet before stopping.” (LA Times)

Texting while driving is a serious problem and leads to thousands of entirely avoidable collisions each year.  Many of those collisions can result in injury or fatalities.  If you don’t believe the academic studies, take a look at this test from Mythbusters:

As I’ve said before, the key to stopping this behavior is to change the way we think about our lives behind the wheel.  Turn the cell phone off, put it in the trunk, turn the ringer off, etc. to keep yourself from using the phone on the road.  You can also invest in a text blocker device such as Key2SafeDriving to keep yourself and loved ones from texting and driving.

For more information on the statistics around drunk driving and texting while driving, check out this informative article in the LA Times.

Lately we’ve seen the commercials, the public service announcements, and articles about safe driving gain enormous attention. Most states now have laws that are cracking down on cell phone use while driving to try to keep the roads safer. Even Oprah is joining the movement with her “No Phone Zone” campaign. With the great deal of “buzz,” I am sure many of you are wondering, “How can I make sure I drive safely?”

Here are some tips on what you can do, to make sure you are driving in a safe way and following these new laws that states are passing.

1. Know your limits when driving. We know that cell phone use has restrictions in most states now, but what about those distractions which are not regulated? Know your limits when it comes to music volume, fiddling with the A/C dials, changing the radio station, talking to someone else in the car, etc. If you feel yourself becoming distracted from the task at hand (driving safely), even if it is only slightly distracted, you know that is your limit and you should steer clear from getting near it.

2. Pay attention to not only the road, but the cars around you. All too often we hear about the importance of keeping your eyes on the road, paying attention to where you are going, but we rarely are told to watch where the other drivers are going. It is very important to watch what other drivers are doing to see if it will conflict with what you are doing on the road. Watch how straight they drive, look for turn signals, notice the behavior of the vehicle and anticipate where it will go. This will help you avoid accidents as you will be able to alter your course accordingly, even if the other driver is distracted.

3. Do not use your cell phone while you’re driving. This is a simple one; there are even laws on it, but it is often a tip that is not followed or applied. The problem lies with our natural tendency to communicate with others no matter what we’re doing at the time. Technology is such a huge factor in our everyday lives, that it feels natural to talk or text while you’re driving somewhere. So, if you can’t make yourself turn off the phone on your own, there are some devices out on the market that can help. There are some that use your GPS to tell if you are driving, others use bluetooth and hardware installed in your car.  They are a little expensive, but worth it if you or a loved one cannot stop texting and driving.  Just do a search for “text blocker” and you should find a few good ones.

These are just a few tips on how to drive safe. Just remember to pay attention and don’t let yourself get distracted while you drive. It’s just not worth it. Keep your eye out for more of my tips coming soon.